Steam-engine



(NoModeL) Q 2 Sheets-Sheet? v W. S RUSH. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 531,276. Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

a W A UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WILLIAM SLADE RUSH, OF ALEXANDRIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF' ONE-THIRD TOJAMES S. DERROUGH AND W. F. HOL- TON, OF WALNUT HILL, LOUISIANA.

(STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,276, dated December 1 8, 1894. Application filed March 23, 1894. Serial No. 504.848. (No model.)

To all whom it'may concern: I Be it known thatI, WILLIAM SLADE RUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the parish of Rapides and State 5 ofLouisiana, have invented a new'and useful Steam-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steam engines; andit has for its object to efiect certain im-" re rovements in direct-acting steam engines, and more particularly in relation to the valves and valve gearing.

To this end the main and primary object of the present invention is to provide anim- I 5 proved rotary valve for double cylinder 'en-' gines, which, while providing simple and efficient means for feeding and exhausting each cylinder of the engine alternately, at the same time shall be so constructed and arranged as to be relieved of any undue steam pressure and to remain almost perfectly'steam balanced whereby the samewill work'much easier than similar valves, and may, be easily and quickly shifted to reverse the engine.

With these and other objects in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the'novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.'

In the accompanying drawings :'Figure 1 is a plan view of a reversible steam engine.

constructed in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal 5 sectional view including the'cylinders and valve devices of the engine. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the engine, the

line of section being through the rotary valve and its stem. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective 40 of the rotary valve. Fig. 5 is a detail in perspective of the valve stemsleeve. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional vie'w on the line 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view on the line y-y of Fig. 5.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents an engine bed or frame of any suitable construction, and supporting at one end the parallel steam cylinders B, inclosed at both ends by the cylinder heads 0, which are removably clamped together and onto the opposite ends of the cylinder by the connecting tie bolts D, and one of said cylinder heads carries a stuffing box E, through which stufling boxes slide the piston rods F, which have secured to their inner ends the piston heads Gr, sliding within the cylinders and of the ordinary construction. The outer ends or said piston rods have pivotally connected thereto, as at H, the inner ends of the connecting rods or pitmen I, the outer of which. are connected to the crank pins J, of the op: posite crank wheels K, mounted on opposite ends of the transverse drive shaft L, j ournaled in the bearing brackets't, extended from one end of the engine bed or frame A, opposite to the cylinders B. J v

The parallel steam cylinders B, which accommodate therein the piston heads G, are adapted to alternately receive and exhaust the steam in order that the opposite piston rods may always be moving in opposite directions to transmit the necessary motion to the drive shaft in the samev manner'as in all double cylinder engines, and said parallel cylinders are connected by an intermediate cylindrical valve casing M.

The intermediate cylindrical valvecasi'ng M, is preferably formed as a part of the same casting as the cylinders B, and the walls separating the said casing from the inner sides of the cylinders B, are pierced by the steam ports N, which open into the cylinders near their opposite ends and into the valve casing at difierent points. There is a pair of the steam ports N, in each wall of the valve casing, and the ports of each opposite pair open respectively into the cylinders at or near their opposite ends in order that steam may be admitted at and exhausted from both sides of the piston heads G, whereby the proper o reciprocations will be given thereto, and the inner terminals of the opposite pairs of steam ports alternate with each other, or are arranged out of circular alignment so that the. ports of one cylinder will openinto the valve casing at difierent points'from the portsin the other opposite cylinder. e

The cylindrical casing M, is preferably of a slightly tapered bore and is adapted to snugly receive therein the stationary bearing 10o ring or tube 0, which is provided with openings in alignment with the inner terminals of the ports N, and this bearing ring or tube 0, forms a bearing for the rotary valve P, mounted to rotate within the bearing to control the passage of steam to and from the cylinders B. The rotary valve P, is slightly tapered in order that the wear thereon may be readily taken up, and is held in position within its casing and hearing by the screw cap Q, threaded into the neck q, projected from one end of the valve casing M, and receivin g the live steam pipe g, which conducts live steam from the boiler into the valve I, which is interiorly bored or hollow.

The rotary hollow valve P freely turns within its bearing and is closed at one end opposite the inlet of the steam to confine the steam therein until fed into the cylinders, and in its solid or closed end the said valve is provided with a transverse notch or groove R, that removably fits over a transverseengagement rib 'r, projected from one side of the valve disk 1'. turning within one end of the valve casing and mounted on the inner end of the rotating or turning valve stem 0*, which revolves in the stem opening r formed in the inner end of the valve casing. The said hollow rotary valve P, receives live steam within or through the open end thereof from the live steam pipe q, and this steam is alternately admitted into the opposite ends of each cylinder through the live steam ports or slots S. The live steam ports or slots S, are formed in the body of the valve P, in opposite pairs, and the ports of each pair are arranged out of alignment with each other, to provide an arrangement whereby the steam shall be admitted into one end of one cylinder at a different time from the admission of the steam into the same end of the other cylinder. It will therefore be seen that each pair of steam ports or slots S, is adapted to control the admission of live steam into the same end of both cylinders, and this admission of steam is secured alternately as described.

Alternating with the pairs of steam ports or slots S, in the valve, are a series of circular or annual exterior exhaust grooves T, each of which grooves communicates with an exhaust port or opening t, formed in the top side of the valve casing M, and these several exhaust ports or openings 15, may be connected by suitable branch pipes to a single exhaust pipe t, for carrying off the exhaust from the engine.

The several exterior exhaust grooves T, which alternate with the separated pairs of ports or slots S, are communicated with at regularly arranged points by the exterior exhaust spaces U, which are disposed at one side of the exhaust grooves so as to be brought opposite the inner terminals of the ports N, at the proper time. By reason of disposingthe exterior exhaust spaces U, at one side of and in communication with the grooves T, I provide an arrangement whereby there is an exhaust space for each port or slot S, and such exhaust space is arranged diametrically opposite to the port or slot to which it belongs, and is located in circular alignment therewith, whereby there is a live steam port and an exhaust space for each of the ports N, and at every revolution of the valve the live steam port and the exhaust space is presented once to the particular port N, in alignment therewith.

In operation, while steam is being admitted through one of the ports or slots S, into one end of one cylinder, the steam is exhausting from the opposite end of the cylinder through one of the exhaust spaces U and the exhaust groove T, in communication therewith, and as the rotary valve P, revolves this admission and exhaust of steam is reversed alternately with respect to both cylinders, as will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, and the necessary revolution or rotation of the valve is imparted thereto from the rotary valve shaft V, arranged in alignment with the valve stem 0*, and journaled in suitable bearings 12, arising from the engine bed or frame A, and the outer end of said valve shaft has connected thereto the bevel gear pinion W, meshing with a similar pinion w, on the drive shaft L. The inner end of the valve shaft V is hollow to loosely receive the bearing pin or neck 1), projected from the outer end of the valve stem 1*, and the adja cent abutting ends of the aligned valve stem and valve shaft are provided with the shifting pins or studs X, which loosely engage in separate spiral slots m, formed longitudinally in the reversing sleeve Y. The spiral slots :0, in the sleeve Y, are disposed. in dif ferent directions, one receiving the pin on the valve shaft and the other the pin on the valve stem, and at an intermediate point the said sleeve is provided with a grooved collar y which is loosely embraced by the yoke block y, guided to slide in the guide slot 1 in the engine bed or frame and having adj ustably connected thereto the threaded end Z, of the adjusting rod 2, mounted for reciprocation and adapted to be connected with any suitable lever devices for shifting the position of the sleeve. It will be seen that the sleeve Y, locks the valve stem to the shaft so that the valve can be rotated from the drive shaft, and by shifting the sleeve in a longitudinal direction the position of the rotary valve may be shifted or turned independent of the valve shaft in order to reverse the position of the ports and therefore reverse the engine.

Many advantages, other than those stated will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art as arising from the construction herein described, and I will have it understood that changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what ICO is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a steam engine, the separated steam cylinders, a cylindrical valve casiu g arranged intermediate of said cylinders and provided with a series of top exhaust ports, and opposite sets of steam ports opening into the cylinders at their ends a separate stationary bearing tube fitted in said casing, and a hollow rotary valve mounted within said bearing tube and provided with a series of steam ports or slots for the cylinder ports, a series of.

exterior exhaust grooves out of circular alignment with the steam ports or slots, and offstanding exhaust spaces communicating with said grooves and arranged in circular alignment with and directly opposite to said steam ports or slots, substantially as set forth.

2. In a steam engine, the combination with the separated steam cylinders, a cylindrical valve casing arranged intermediate of said cylinders and provided with top exhaust ports ing with said exterior exhaust grooves, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I I my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SLADE RUSH.

Witnessesi I C. M. KILPATRICK, E. H. MCCORMICK. 

